


5. The Baton

by Fantau



Series: MariChat May! [5]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Drabble, Marichat May, super short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 13:45:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10832490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fantau/pseuds/Fantau
Summary: MariChat may Day 5: the baton. Words: 1,204





	5. The Baton

It was just… sitting there.

Laying in the middle of the street untouched. 

She had to grab it.

This akuma is dangerous, and she couldn’t find a safe spot to transform. She could see her classmates hiding around various corners, too scared to move because of the akumas projectiles.

It was deadly, nightmare dust that you would be forced to inhale, people wouldn't be aware of what's going on around them. Just thrashing, some running, some writhing on the ground in agony.

She can’t move, she can't transform.

But she can’t leave her partner out there. 

She can see Chat in the middle of the plaza, snarling and hissing at the akuma, fighting it hand to hand because the chance to grab his baton never presented itself through the giant's arms. The akuma is massive, a writhing mass of blackened flesh with too many arms and hollow spots where the eyes should be. Its smile is stretched too wide across its face. Truthfully the most horrifying looking akuma she’s seen in all of her years. 

_‘What would Ladybug do?’_

Ladybug would trust her partner and attack from the backgrounds, thinking of a strategy. 

Chat doesn’t have time, every minute she can hear his Miraculous beep.

_‘What would Chat do?’_

Chat would know she needs her weapon, run toward it with a one track mind and feet fast enough to dodge everything, anything to protect his partner and himself.

Chat can't do that right now.

But she, Marinette… she could… She could do something. She could be useful.

_‘Be useful’_

Marinette huffs, pulls off her shirt and shoves it in front of her mouth with one hand. She wraps her jacket around her and takes a deep breath through the cloth.

‘ _Go._ ’ her brain urges. She does. 

She hears Alya yell her name as Marinette leaves her safe haven, but she doesn't follow, for which the bluenette is thankful. One of her best friends is already out there. 

Marinette runs towards the baton, lungs burning from the lack of air but she continues to ignore the explosions following her and instead keeps her gaze focused on the silver cylinder on the ground. 

“Princess!” Chat Noir gives a strangled shout as she distracts him from dodging an oncoming hit, but she doesn't spare him a glance and slides between the legs of the giant nightmare monster. One of its appendages chase her, threatening to wrap its large fingers round her ankles. She jumps over it, slides across rough brick, heels digging in the cracks in between. She stumbles, toes catching and tips forward, her hand landing on the baton at the last moment.

She flips her body over and swats at a few balls of nightmare dust flying her way, closing her eyes against the sand like texture that burst from them. 

“Princess!” Chats shouting, still desperately attempting to get past the monster and to her but every time he tries one of the akuma’s many arms swipe him out of the air and send him flying in the opposite direction. 

Tears streak down his face, and his miraculous beeps, Plagg likely trying to hold on as long as he can. 

She swats the giant's legs with her partners lengthened weapon, dodges a stray arm and swats him with the baton again, watching in satisfaction as all the akuma’s attention is turned to her.

Chat needs to recharge, and she needs him to recharge so she can transform. She runs between the monster's legs, jumping over large and grotesquely twisted fingers and gives a grin to Chat.

Running on adrenaline she looks up and yells 

“Hey, Boogieman!”

The Akumas eye less face turns down from Chat towards her tiny form and she watches the Cat try and fail to get it back by yelling as loud as he can.

“Mari! Please! Dont-”

“Catch me if you can!” And with that, he chucks the baton at Chat Noir watching as he leaps to catch it instinctively and then falling back onto a roof, a green light flashing from the spot he disappeared.

“ _MARINETTE!_ ” Chat’s voice breaks from where he hides. 

Then, the girls tongue sticks out of her mouth and she dodges back as 8 arms come flying at her all at once. 

The akuma has sent all of its arms through between its legs but doesn't seem to mind as its upper body follows and it twists itself around, going through its own legs and then the legs just flipping over to land heavily on the ground behind him.

The grin is still there, terrifying as ever. 

The chase is on.

“Marinette!” Tikki shouts from her purse and she grabs it to stop the jolting motion as he feet desperately pound against the ground. “Go right!”

Marinette trusts her kwami explicitly and doges to the right, landing hard on her shoulder as nightmare dust explodes where she was seconds before.

“Thanks for the save, Tikki!” Marinette huffs, lungs aching so bad it’s making her dizzy. 

She's starting to struggle, barely getting out of the way in time, just jumping over the sweeping arms of the monster. So little air reaching her lungs it's making her eyes water.

She's tackled sideways out of the way just at she stumbles over a sewage covering and the air is knocked out of her lungs with a shoulder to the solar plexus.

Chat jumps to the nearest roof and instead of setting her down, falls and presses her shoulders to the roof. The shirt tied around her mouth loosens and hangs around her neck.

“Are you out of your mind?” he growls, tear streaks drying and shoulders trembling.

“What?” Mari tries to sit up but Chat keeps her down without the slightest effort. “It's fine, kitty I-”

“Don't you ever scare me like that again!”  
Actual tears are filling his eyes again but before Marinette can really do anything he tips forward and hugs her as best he can. His hands hold cautiously at her shoulders and she grits her teeth as he rubs his face against her neck. 

“Chat, the akuma.”

“What...what... would I... do?” he asks, his nose pushing against her pulse and then tracing her jaw. He's purring in his distress, his body trying to calm him down. It vibrates where his chest is pressed to hers, and shakes through her lungs, going all through her body.

“What?

“If I lost you.” he whispers. “How could I live with myself? Knowing I should've done something.” he pulls away from her neck a little, gives a sniff and seems satisfied with his work of… scenting her, maybe? Some Chat thing.

Chat Noir isn't often selfish, and he doesn't usually abandon his responsibilities. She lets him sniff her, purr, and press against her a little more, her face burning.

“Go, Chat.” she urges after a minute, pressing his shoulders. 

He leans back, gives her a look that's sadness and longing and relief and disappointment all at once, and then jumps away without a word.

She sits up slowly, somehow dizzier than when the shirt was over her mouth. Her face feels too warm and she pressed a hand to her cheek.

Yep, she's absolutely burning.

_This is bad._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Also on my ff.net (laputatiana) and my tumblr (fantau)


End file.
